Hard to believe that October is next week and that November is so close behind that, but looking at Gary’s pens made me think about it and remember that Veterans Day is just a few weeks away, really.

Have any of you participated in some expression of the Freedom Pen Project? Some patriotic folks started this a number of years ago. The idea is for folks to get together at various places to make pens that will be sent to our troops. The pens are a thank-you for their service as well as an encouragement that the folks at home are thinking of them and doing something more than just the occasional prayer or head nod. I’ve been part of 3 or four different events now and am blessed each time I help. Our AAW chapter did about 75 pens last year in a couple of hours of work. The local Woodcraft store also held an “open lathe” session where they brought together 6 lathes and let anyone express their turning creativity. Not sure how many they did, but I know that I took one of the young men in my “learn to use power tools” home group from church. He was 11 and had some basic skills from our class. He made two pens and did himself proud in the making. One of the other boys, a 10-year-old, brought his dad to the AAW chapter pen-fest, and both of them were especially touched since his big brother was in Iraq at the time.

The reason I bring it up now is so that if anyone is inspired, you can make the contacts and find out how to participate. The sky is the limit, but time is needed to plan ahead and to procure blanks, kits, mailing address for the project, etc. Or to convince your local Rockler, Woodcraft, or other tool and toy store that they ought to take part.

I’m going to go visit a local Corian user to see if I can get him to provide scraps for transformation into Freedom Pens. Especially interested in red, white, and blue, obviously, but more if I can get it. My plan is to be sure to provide him with a pen of his own from those made; I hope that he’ll keep it on his desk as a reminder of the troops and of his participation in the project.

Within the last couple of years, I saw a Freedom Pen series that had wood of choice on the bottom plus a simple set of red, white, and blue “stripes” on the top, under the clip. Just glued up 1/4” slabs of Corian drilled and glued on the tube. It was striking to say the least. Also saw one where similar stripes were set on and angle, kind of like chevrons.

Thoughts? Comments? Other experiences in The Freedom Pen Project? Last time the site was updated, nearly 74,000 pens had been made and sent to our troops. All of the details for your involvement are on their site, shown above.

Have been doing some more research and found that Woodcraft changed management (ownership???) and is not participating directly with the Freedom Pen Project (FPP), but is doing something similar on their own. My impression is that because of the way Woodcraft is now structured, it’s up to each individual franchise as to whether or not they participate.

Several folks have encouraged others to go to Rockler and stir up interest there. I plan to do that with our own local Rockler outlet.

And, as always, FPP will be able to use whatever $$ donations can be managed to help with shipping to the fronts.

It really is a great and worthy project. I’m hoping to be involved again this year, at least at the turning level if not helping to organize something here in Kansas City.